


Trouble

by writesometimes



Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: F/M, Flirting, Fluff, Gentle laughing and soft makeouts, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, Pining, So much pining and flirting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-03
Updated: 2020-01-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:34:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22104151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writesometimes/pseuds/writesometimes
Summary: The Mandalorian returns briefly to Nevarro after a run in with some bounty hunters to lie low and maybe get another look at one of his favorite faces in the galaxy.
Relationships: Cara Dune/The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV)
Comments: 51
Kudos: 315





	Trouble

**Author's Note:**

> I was recently made aware of things G*na has said online and I just wanted to add a disclaimer to my fics featuring her character that I in no way share her beliefs or support her views and I hope that I will be able to still enjoy Cara Dune in the future...

The cockpit of the _Razor_ _Crest_ was awash in pale blue light as the craft drifted through dark space. Din leaned back in the pilot's seat and stared at the holovid he'd paused. He'd had a hell of a day. A hell of a week really. Shit, if he was honest the last few months had been little more than a hectic blur. He'd spent all his time since he left Nevarro searching the galaxy for the child's people. Well, he was looking for them when they weren't evading bounty hunters and storm troopers. There had been a lot to deal with. 

That morning had been particularly rough. He'd woken up on what he was pretty sure was their sixth different planet that week to rapid gunfire. The child had cooed at him, a fearful tone in his voice. Din had secured the child in his cradle immediately and gone to check just who it was that was firing at them. 

He exchanged some gunfire with about four different bounty hunters before one got in a lucky shot, somehow grazing his collarbone where there was a small gap in his armor. He'd scrambled back up the cargo door of the _Razor Crest_ , firing away as he went. Three bounty hunters went down before the door was even halfway closed. The fourth was left to stare in anger as the Mandalorian and his child sped away. 

After that, Din's day had been spent with the child in his lap, trying to soothe him. He watched, a smile on his face, as the little green bundle gnawed on the metal knob from his hyper drive shifter. It took his mind off the searing pain where he'd been hit. About an hour later the child fell into a peaceful nap and that was when he decided to pull up his saved holovids. 

Cara Dune had sent him five holovids since he'd left Nevarro. Never anything very long, she didn't want him to be tracked after all, but they'd still been nice to receive. Her smiling face, even in the pale blue haze of the holovids, was enchanting. He'd worried at first when he'd left her and Greef behind that he'd left them in danger, but if Cara's first holovid was any indicator, they would be fine. She'd proudly told him about how she had single-handedly taken down four 'scum-ass troopers' that had come searching for him and the child. 

Her next couple of videos were short, sweet things, her smiling radiantly as she wished him and the child well. Her laughing as she told him about beating Greef at a drinking game. Her eyes crinkling from a wide grin as she told him she'd finally found her own place on Nevarro. Din had saved every one. He watched them when he had a stressful day. It had become an almost daily ritual. 

He'd never met anyone quite like Cara Dune. No one had ever left an impression on him like she had. She was tough enough to defend herself and anyone else she needed to, but she was also one of the most caring people he'd ever come across. Even if she wouldn't readily admit to it. When he thought about all she had done for him and the child back on Nevarro it was almost too much for him to process. He smiled at the holovid as her tiny face beamed at him through the blue haze. 

The child stirred in his lap and cooed at the holovid, reaching out to touch it. Din bounced the child on his knee and grinned. "Hello little one. Good nap?" The child babbled incoherently at him and smiled, his tiny teeth just visible. Din paused the video and lifted the child up so he could get a better look. He hissed in pain as he lifted the little guy and the child looked back at him, worried. "I'll be okay, kid." The child flattened his large green ears and poked at the holovid. "I miss Cara too. Don't ever repeat that to her though, I'd never hear the end of it." 

The child cooed again and poked at his injured shoulder. Din sighed patted the little guy on the head. "I'll be okay." The child poked again at the holovid, an agitated coo accompanied the action. "Maybe we _could_ go to Nevarro. See Cara. I'm sure she'd have some medical supplies." The child cooed happily and nestled himself against Din's chest. 

Din sighed as he put the proper coordinates into the control panel. "You know, you're pretty manipulative for a being that can't even actually talk," he mused as he rubbed the child's back. The child only hummed contentedly in response.

* * *

Din put the _Razor Crest_ down outside of town, just to be safe, and headed in with the child hovering in his cradle alongside him. The two cut through Nevarro's empty back country quickly, the child watching with wide eyes as they marched on. They made it to the cantina just as the sun was beginning to set. The outside of the building was still charred in a few places, the door an obvious replacement that didn't quite fit right, but the townspeople had cleaned up and re-opened. Din took a deep breath as he pulled the uneven door open and stepped inside. 

It looked pretty good for a place that had been trashed and fire scorched just a few months prior. There were still burn marks visible inside, the furniture was even more mismatched than it had been before, but drinks flowed and people gathered. All things considered, the people of Nevarro had done a good job. Din stepped over an exceptionally dark char mark on the floor and thought about what had happened the last time he'd set foot in the building. All the chaos and danger and _fear_. His breathing became erratic. Panic wasn't something he was too familiar with, but he was sure that was exactly what was washing over him at the moment. A hand gripped his shoulder and the child squealed loudly in his cradle. 

"Can he still do the magic hand thing?" a familiar voice asked. Din turned quickly and was face to face with Greef Karga. The child cooed in his cradle and Greef smiled. He raised his hand at the child and the little guy waved back. 

Din let out a sigh of relief and patted the child on the head. "Yeah, he can do the magic hand thing still," he chuckled and clapped Greef on the shoulder. Greef laughed heartily and waved Din in the direction of a table in the back corner. "I appreciate the offer, but I'm not really here for drinks. Besides, I can't take this thing off, remember?" Din tapped the temple of his helmet. 

Greef nodded. "So what _are_ you back in Nevarro for?"  
  
"I was actually looking for Dune."  
  
"Ahh, I see," Greef said with a smile and arched brows.  
  
"I need a safe place to lie low and re-supply is all. Kid could use a good meal and some peaceful sleep too," Din replied flatly.   
  
"Sure, sure, of course. Cara's down six blocks or so. Corner place, painted dark green. Only one on the whole block that looks like someone cares about it. Can't miss it. She'll be glad to see you." Greef smirked.   
  
"Thank you." Din pressed some coins into Greef's hand. "Next one's on me."  
  
Greef laughed loudly. "Good to see you again, Mando. Tell Cara I said hello."   
  
Din nodded and he and the child made their way back outside. Cara's place really was easy to find. The outside was tidy, potted plants dotted the front porch, and the paint job was neat and even. She'd obviously taken a lot of pride in having a place to call her own. Din knocked on the front door and glanced down at the child. "What if she's not home?" he whispered. The child seemed to giggle. The front door swung open a second later and Din was face to face with an armed Cara Dune.   
  
"Holy shit, Mando?" she asked in disbelief. She lowered her blaster and smiled softly. "I didn't think I'd ever actually see you again."  
  
Din stared, unable to speak. Cara's hair was just a little longer, her eyes still warm and just a bit wild, and her smile was just as perfect as Din had remembered.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Cara asked warmly as she leaned her hip against the door frame. Din continued to stare silently. The child looked between the two humans and when the silence stretched on he cooed loudly. Cara laughed and leaned down to lift him out of his cradle. "Hey there, big guy. You givin' your dad hell?"   
  
"You have no idea," Din deadpanned.  
  
Cara laughed and began walking into her house with the child in her arms. "You coming, Mando?" she called as she turned a corner. The child laughed uncontrollably and bounced in Cara's arms. "I'm glad to see you again too, kid," she said as she tickled the child's tummy.   
  
Din followed Cara inside and shut the door behind him. "We won't stay long, I promise. I really just need a safe place to lie low and re-supply and I figured what place would be safer than Cara Dune's?"  
  
Cara lead them into a small kitchen and set the child down on a stool at the table. "Don't worry, Mando, stay as long as you need. I have some stew on the stove, should be done by now. Can he have some?" she asked, rubbing one of the child's large ears. Din nodded and leaned over to set down the bag he'd been carrying. He hissed quietly as he moved, his shoulder area still tender from the blaster fire he'd taken that morning. Cara raised a quizzical brow as she ladled out some stew into a bowl for the child. "You doin' all right?" she asked as she placed the bowl in front of the child. The child clapped his hands together eagerly and put the bowl to his lips.   
  
Din took a deep breath and nodded. "I'm fine. Had a little run in with some bounty hunters this morning, but I'll live." He leaned against the counter in the corner and watched as the child slurped up his stew. "Thank you, he hasn't eaten since breakfast."  
  
"I bet you haven't either," Cara said, sliding a bowl of stew in Din's direction. "Don't worry, you can take it in the living room," she said nodding her head in the direction of the next room. "Me and the kid can eat in here and talk shit about you while you're gone," she laughed as she claimed the stool next to the child.  
  
"Thanks. Just know though, if he starts acting out after this, I'm gonna blame you," Din called over his shoulder as he disappeared into the living room, clutching his bowl of stew.  
  
"And I'd be _flattered_ ," Cara called back around a mouthful of stew.   
  
Din chuckled as he took off his helmet and dug into his dinner. He hadn't had an actual hot meal in quite a long time and before he realized it, his bowl was empty. He stared at his helmet for a moment, wishing for the first time in years that he could leave it off. That he could see Cara's bright smile and her charming dimples without having to gaze through the narrow visor. Cara laughed loudly in the kitchen and Din sighed. He grabbed the helmet off the coffee table and put it back on so he could rejoin the duo in the kitchen.   
  
When he turned the corner he saw just what Cara was laughing at. The child had been so excited about dinner he'd spilled stew all over his tiny robe. Cara had the tiny green baby in the sink, his soiled clothes laid out on the counter. "I'm sorry," Din sighed, picking up the child's little taupe robe and inspecting the stain.   
  
"Oh please, this is the funniest thing that's happened in months," Cara said, stepping aside so Din could see the child splashing away in the kitchen sink. "I think he's starting to get tired though, he keeps yawning. I'm gonna take him out before he gets soap in his mouth. Hand me a clean towel? They're in the second drawer there." Din grabbed a clean towel and tossed it to Cara. She scooped the child out of the sink and wrapped him up in the towel. "And now that you're fed and bathed and ready for bed we can take care of whatever's ailing your dad," Cara cooed at the child as she lowered him into his cradle.   
  
"I'm fine, really, I told you." Din dunked the child's little robe in the soapy water in the sink and scrubbed at the stew stain with his fingers. He wrung it out and placed it flat on the counter to dry. "I really should see about getting him something else to wear. It's difficult to keep it clean since it's all he's got."   
  
"Don't change the subject on me, Mando. I know you're in pain. Your movements are stiff and awkward, you're favoring your left side. Just let me patch you up. I've got a medkit in my room." Din stood silently in front of the sink. Cara sighed and crossed her arms. "The kid's already asleep," she hooked her thumb in the direction of the tiny snoring baby, "Now let's get you taken care of."  
  
"I'm not gonna be able to get out of this, am I?" Din sighed.   
  
"Not a chance," Cara replied through a sly grin.   
  
"Lead on then, Dune."

* * *

Din stood in the doorway to Cara's bedroom and hesitated a moment, taking the room in. It was surprisingly intimate. Her bedroom was dimly lit, candles and small lamps scattered throughout the space. A floral blanket was draped over the bed, pillows piled high against the headboard. Floor length curtains covered a window that no-doubt had a bleak view of Nevarro's desolate landscape. Not that it mattered, the sun had long since set. Cara pulled open a drawer of her dresser, her back to Din, and cleared her throat. The Mandalorian stepped fully into the room.   
  
"All right, Mando, take it off," Cara teased as she placed a sizable medkit on the bed.   
  
Din slowly made his way to the side of the bed opposite Cara and patted one of the numerous pillows. "You can't see my face, it's not permitted -- "  
  
"I know, I know, you can keep your tin on. I just want to get a look at whatever it is near your shoulder that's making it impossible for you to hide your pain, even with the damn helmet," Cara reassured as she shook a bottle of liquid from the medkit.   
  
Din slowly removed his gloves and bracers and laid them on the nightstand to his left. He took a steadying breath and knelt down to remove his boots. When he stood back up he caught Cara watching him carefully. "You really don't have to help me. I'm perfectly capable of navigating a medkit on my own." He propped one leg up on the bed and made quick work of his armor.   
  
Cara stared for a moment as Din swapped legs and removed the rest of his lower armor. He hissed as he reached up to start removing the armor from his arms and chest. Cara sighed and moved around the bed to stand in front of him. "It's not that I think you can't navigate a medkit, it's that I don't think you _will_. Cause you're a stubborn jackass."  
  
"Takes one to know one," Din muttered as Cara reached up and helped him remove the armor from his injured shoulder. Cara glared at him and swatted lightly at his newly-unprotected arm. "Hey!" Din squawked, "I'm injured. I thought you were supposed to be _helping._ "  
  
Cara rolled her eyes, tossed the armor on the foot of the bed, and moved to the Mandalorian's other side. "I _am_ helping, you're just a big baby." The rest of the Beskar found its way to the foot of the bed and Cara stood in front of Din again, reaching out to grab the hem of the thin shirt he wore beneath his impressive armor. Din inched backward, bumping into the nightstand. "Didn't take you for the bashful type, Mando." Despite her teasing words, Cara backed away a bit and raised her hands to give him some space.  
  
"Didn't take you for the flowery bedding type," Din retorted. He crossed his arms and hissed in pain, his shoulder acting up again.   
  
Cara sighed and put both her hands around Din's upper arms. "Yes, I have flowers on my bedding. I could still kick your ass. Sit." She backed Din up against the mattress and applied pressure to his arms until he plopped down onto her bed. "Now, can you get the shirt off on your own or would you like help?"  
  
Din raised his head and met Cara's gaze. He didn't know how, but he was sure she could tell he was looking directly into her eyes. She stared back evenly, a small, sly grin on her face. That little grin of hers could make him agree to almost anything. Din uncrossed his arms and shrugged his uninjured shoulder. "It'd probably be easier to cut it off, to be honest." Cara squinted at him in confusion. He knocked on his helmet. "It's a little difficult to... get undressed with this on still."  
  
Cara pushed and prodded against his chest and sides until he laid back against the pillows. She tapped at his knees and he swung both legs up onto the bed. Immediately, Cara straddled his lap and reached over to the other side of the bed for the medkit. Din pressed his palms firmly into the mattress and stared, unmoving, at the woman who now occupied his lap. Cara smiled sweetly at him. She fished some scissors out of the kit and again grabbed for the hem of Din's shirt. "Are you sure?"  
  
Din swallowed thickly and tried to breathe normally. "You could always just let me, you know, do all this myself." The sound of the scissors cutting through the bottom of his shirt was the only response he got. He took a deep breath.   
  
Cara sliced her way neatly up the length of the shirt and hissed loudly when she pushed it off Din's shoulders. "This is nasty, what happened?" Her fingers grazed an ugly, red, burn looking gash along the Mandalorian's collar bone.   
  
"Took a blaster hit in exactly the right spot."  
  
"Exactly the wrong spot, more like."

Din inhaled sharply as Cara applied a tiny amount of pressure to the area.   
  
"I don't think it'll require stitches but it's not gonna feel good." Cara drenched a sterile cloth with some bacta and placed her free hand tenderly against the side of Din's exposed neck. "Sorry," she murmured as she placed the cloth over Din's wound.   
  
The pain was intense and immediate. Din's hands flew off the mattress and gripped Cara's thighs tightly. After a few seconds he regained some of his composure and released Cara's thighs, grabbing her hand instead and pulling it away from his wound. His chest was heaving as he stared at Cara, a shocked look on her face.   
  
"I'm sorry," Cara said again quietly, her thumb brushing back and forth over the skin on Din's neck. "We gotta finish it though." Din nodded almost imperceptibly. Cara gave him a sympathetic smile and pressed the cloth back against the wound.   
  
Din groaned loudly and Cara was about to pull the cloth away again when Din's hand came up and covered hers. "We gotta finish it," he grit out, pressing down on Cara's hand. Her thumb continued stroking a soothing path along the exposed skin of his neck and he focused on it, the feel of her warm, soft skin on his. After another minute or so of pain, the wound was finally healing and Din released Cara's hand.  
  
"You good?" Cara asked as her hand came to rest on Din's stomach. He nodded emphatically, unable to speak just yet. Cara leaned her forehead against the Mandalorian's helmet and smiled. "You made it," she chuckled.   
  
Din's stomach did somersaults. He gently placed his hands on Cara's hips and shut his eyes. "Thank you," he rasped.   
  
"I'd say ' _don't worry about it, any time_ ' but I don't want to encourage your dumbass to get shot more often." Din laughed quietly and Cara's eyes went wide. "Was that a laugh, Mando?" He laughed harder. Cara wound her arms around the back of his neck and grinned.  
  
Din had never seen a smile so radiant. He wanted desperately to remove his helmet and place a soft kiss against her lips. He'd thought about it endlessly over the last few months, rewatching the short holovids she'd sent him. He'd missed her, god how he'd missed her. "I missed you," he blurted, startling himself. When Cara didn't stop smiling he breathed a sigh of relief. "I was glad you sent the holovids. It was nice to see your face," he admitted quietly.  
  
"Are you going soft on me Din Djarin?" Cara whispered.  
  
"You may have that effect on me _Carasynthia Dune_ ," Din murmured.  
  
Cara poked him hard on the side of his neck. "I'll let the full-name usage slide this time since you're hurt. But next time, it's gonna cost you."  
  
"Is that a fact?"  
  
Cara laughed in response. Din wished he could see her like that all the time. Smiling, laughing, eyes bright and mischievous. "What if I made amends for it now?" he asked as he tugged his arms out of the sleeves of his now ruined undershirt. Cara furrowed her brow as he leaned forward and pulled the tattered shirt from behind him and folded it over a few times. He gently placed it against her eyes.   
  
"What're you, uh, doing, Mando?"   
  
Din stayed silent as he tied the shirt loosely behind Cara's head. Carefully, he removed his helmet and set it on the nightstand next to his gloves and bracers. He gripped Cara's wrists lightly and brought them up to his now-exposed face. Cara inhaled sharply as her hands met warm flesh instead of cold Beskar. She didn't say anything for a while as she ran her hands delicately over his face.  
  
"Din," Cara breathed, as she traced her fingers over his mouth.  
  
"Thank you," he mumbled against her fingertips, "for patching up a stubborn shit like me." He pressed a feather-light kiss to the pads of Cara's fingers.   
  
Cara leaned forward slowly and laid gentle kisses along his cheekbone until she met his lips with her own. Din wrapped his arms around her waist softly and pulled her closer. Cara smiled against his lips and pushed on his chest carefully, laying him back farther into her pile of pillows. She deepened the kiss as they sunk into the soft luxury of her bed.   
  
"I guess I'll be sending more holovids if this is what I get in return for them," Cara laughed as Din trailed kisses down her neck and rested his head on her shoulder.   
  
"I guess I'll keep getting shot if this is what I get in return," Din teased.  
  
Cara pinched his forearm. "See, I just knew somehow you would turn this whole thing into a free pass for getting yourself into more trouble." She laughed as she kissed him softly once more.   
  
"Got all the trouble I can handle right here," he countered, running his hands over her back.   
  
"You don't even know the half of it," Cara whispered in his ear before playfully nipping at it.   
  
A distressed coo grabbed their attention and pulled the apart. "The kid," Din said as he sat up. "He probably woke up alone and it scared him." He sighed as he reached for his helmet. Cara leaned forward and placed one last quick peck to his lips before he slipped it back over his head. He removed his ruined shirt from Cara's head and stared at her smiling face in awe for just a moment more before he cleared his throat and called to the child to let him know they were still there.  
  
Cara pushed the medkit down to the foot of the bed and rolled over to sprawl out beside Din on her mattress. The Mandalorian tapped a few controls on his bracer from where it rested on the nightstand and the child's cradle came hovering into the room. He giggled happily when he spotted Din and Cara on the bed. Once he was close enough, he stood up in the cradle and hopped onto the bed. He settled himself between the two humans and cooed contentedly.  
  
"I guess we'll all sleep here, then," Cara said as she tapped the kid's nose gently.  
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to impose. We can --"  
  
Cara placed a hand on Din's chest to stop him from sitting up. "Like I'd let you sleep anywhere else on Nevarro tonight." She leaned over and laid a soft kiss to the temple of Din's helmet. The child babbled in awe between them. They both laughed and laid back against the pillows. The three fell asleep easily after that in the comfort of Cara's bedroom. It was the best night's sleep Din had gotten in years.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm absolutely in love with these two and the whole show in general I can't wait for season 2. As always this is just extremely fluffy, sappy, soft fluff cause I'm incapable of writing anything else it seems. Ugh these two though ♥
> 
> [tumblr](https://imwritesometimes.tumblr.com/)


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